Suspended rapid transit constructions



March 19, 1963 A. DAVlNO 3,081,711

SUSPENDED RAPID TRANSIT CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 zz'm. .3.

72 INVENTOR.

ALP/101150 DA w/vo BY waaqzik March 19, 1963 A. DAVlNO SUSPENDED RAPID TRANSIT CONSTRUCTIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 19 60 1. .EN IOR. ALPHON50 DAV/N0 March 19, 1963 A. DAVINO 3,081,711

SUSPENDED RAPID TRANSIT CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ALPf/ONSO DA V/AIO A TTOENEY' 3,081,711 SUSPENDED RAilD TRANfiiT CQNSTRUCTIGNS Alphonso Davino, 426 S. Spring St., Los Angelcs l3, Calif.

Filed June 27, E69, Ser. No. 38,857 1 Claim. (Cl. 1194-95) This invention relates :to new and improved suspended rapid transit constructions.

The great daily flow of people and goods into and out from congested urban areas creates an immense tran portation problem. The endless expansion of conventional express highways and conventional surface railroads to meet this problem tends to become self-defeating. These conventional surface roads take up and occupy enormous areas of the very urban complex which they are intended to serve. The need is for an alternative form of high-volume transportation which will be fast, cheap, safe, and yet occupy as little of the ground surface as possible.

Widespread attempts to meet this need have been made by use of elevated conventional surface railroads and underground subways containing conventional railroads. Subway systems, even where geological considerations are most favorable for their utilization, are extremely expensive. Elevated conventional railroads inherently require a relatively large amount of elevated structure which is both expensive to construct and maintain and which is objectionably unsightly.

It has been proposed to overcome these difficulties by use of overhead suspended monorail systems. Such systems promise to leave the bulk of the ground surface beneath them free for other uses, such as for conventional surface streets. However, the high expense or" such systems, the relatively deep vertical overhead structure required to give them rigidity and to combat sway, and other factors, have resulted in such monorail systems having little or no utilization.

It is an object of this invention to fill the above needs with a simple inexpensive construction. It is a further object of this invention to provide an elevated rapid transit construction in which each car is suspended from wheels running in two parallel tracks. A further object of this invention is to provide a relatively rigid, compact and thin supporting structure for an elevated rapid transit system. A further object of this invention is to provide a carriage for support of elevated rapid transit cars which, in combination with the supporting structure of this invention, provides a relatively rigid system resistant to swaying. Gther objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the remainder of this description, including the appended claim and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the construction of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a carriage of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the supporting structure of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side-elevational view of a part of the supporting structure of the invention.

In all figures of the drawings like numerals are used to designate like parts where convenient for purposes of illustration and explanation. The accompanying drawings are not to be taken as limiting this invention in any respect. Those skilled in the art to which this intatcs tent vention pertains will realize that these drawings are intended primarily to designate clearly the preferred nature of this invention. Obviously the dimensions and/ or relative sizes of the various parts of the constructions shown can be changed to adapt the invention for different uses and conditions.

As an aid to understanding the invention it may be stated in summary outline form that it involves construct-ions for a suspended rapid transit system which include: an elevated supporting structure periodically suspended from single pillars and including parallel twin tracks; a carriage suspended from wheels running in the twin tracks; passenger or freight cars suspended from the carriage; and drive means mounted on the carriage and o-pera-tively connected to the wheels. The details and the full scope of this invention are set forth more fully and precisely in summary form in the appended claim.

In FIGS. 1 and 2. of the drawings a car body it of known construction adapted for carrying passengers or freight or both is shown connected to a similar car body 10 by flexible partitions 12. The car body it) is suspended near its ends from the carriages 2-3 which are suspended from the wheels 22 running in the tracks 24 of the supporting structure 26, which constitutes in effect an overhead roadway, which is suspended at intervals from the arm 28 of a single pillar 36 in a multi-lane system another arm 28 extending from the opposite side of the pillar 3t} similarly supports the supporting structures 26.

The conventional internal frame (not shown) of the car body it is attached to the posts 32 which, as shown, extend above the top of the car body iii. The upper portions of the posts 3:2. extend through closely conforming apertures 34 in an overhead frame 36. Nuts 38 are secured to the top of posts 32, with. compression springs 4t} spiraled around the posts 32 and bearing against the upper surface of the overhead frame 36 and the lower surface of the nuts 38, so as to resiliently support the car body 10 from the overhead frame 36. There are preferably two such posts 32 extending up wardly from the car body 10 at each carriage 26, with both posts located in the transverse plane through the center of the carriage 2d and each post 32 spaced an equal distance from the center of the carriage 29. The overhead frame 36 comprises a substantially flat steel plate adjacent carriage 2t? which extends outwardly on each side beyond the sides of the carriage 2t) and which is attached to the other overhead frame or frames 36 of each car body it) by the tie pieces 42 which extend adjacent the sides of the car body ltd from the overhead frame 36 at one carriage 28 to the overhead frame 36 at the next carriage 28*. A generally U-shaped safety flange 44 is attached to each side of the overhead frame 36 in the transverse plane extending through the center of the carriage 2%) so as to extend upwardly, inwardly, and downwardly from the exterior side edge of the overhead frame 36. The safety flange 4 thus forms in effect an inverted U Whose inner arm is shorter than its outer arm which is attached to the side of the overhead frame 36.

Two generally U-shaped brackets 46 are attached to the underside of the overhead frame 36, one on either side of the center of the carriage 2t? in the transverse plane through the center of the carriage 20. Each bracket 46 is formed with a hole extending through the base of the U. A bolt 48, attached to the conventional internal frame (not shown) of the car body 10, extends upwardly from the top of the car body iii through the hole Ell in the base of the bracket 46. A nut 52 of greater width than the diameter of the hole 54] is attached to the top of the bolt 43. The bracket d6 is sufiiciently deep that the nut 52 is spaced from the base of the bracket 46 and from the underside of the overhead frame 36, so as to permit vertical movement of the car body It? with re spect to the overhead frame 36 resiliently controlled by the compression springs 4b, while providing emergency support of the car body it) from the overhead frame 315 in the event of failure of the posts 32, the nuts 33 or the compression springs ll The complete carriage 2% includes the carriage frame element which is a substantially flat steel piece in the shape of an X enclosed in a rectangle, with the ends of the arms of the X joining the corners of the rectangle and with the outer edges of the rectangle conforming substantially to the horizontal external dimensions of the complete carriage 29. The carriage frame element 54 is located adjacent and above the ovherhead frame and is formed with a hole 56 through the center of the X which is located at substantially the center of the complete carriage 2h. The overhead frame 36 is formed with a corresponding hole 553 at substantially the center of the complete carriage 26? in alignment with the hole 56. A massive pivot bolt es extends from above cairiage frame element 5- through holes 56 and 53 to below overhead frame 3%. Nuts 62 of greater width than holes 5-33 and 58 are attached to pivot bolt as above carriage frame element se and below overhead frame 36 so as to rotatably hold overhead frame 36 in suspension from carriage frame element 554. Pivot bolt as is formed with horizontal transverse passages 6 extending therethrough closely adiacent its ends so that one passage 64 is located above the upper nut 62 and the other passage 6 is located below the lower nut as. Safety pins d6 extend through passages 6 beyond the exterior surfaces of pivot bolt at so as to secure nuts 62 from working loose.

The complete carriage 2% further includes vertical members 53, 75 and 72. Vertical member as is a substantially flat rectangular steel sheet with a generally rectangular central cut-out to reduce weight. Two such vertical members as are attached along their bottom edges to the sides of the carriage frame element 54 from the two sides of the complete carriage 2%. Each vertical member 68 is formed with three apertures 74 therethrough spaced from one another in a vertical plane adjacent the forward edge of vertical member 68 and with a fourth aperture 76 formed therethrough adjacent the rear edge of vertical member 63 and in the same horizontal plane as the uppermost of the apertures 74. Vertical member 70 is a generally fiat rectangular steel plate which is bent over substantially at a right angle along its top and side edges. It is located adjacent vertical member 68 toward the interior of the complete carriage it It is attached to vertical member as along its bentover edges. The bent-over top edge of vertical member 76} is attached to the forward portion of the top edge of vertical member 68, the bent-over forward side edge of vertical members 74% is attached to the forward side edge of vertical member 68, and the bent-over rear side edge of vertical member 7% is attached to the interior surface of vertical member 68 generally along the vertical plane defined by the forward side of the central cut-out in vertical member 68. Vertical member it? is shorter than vertical member 68 so that the bottom edge of vertical member 70 is located above the bottom edge of vertical member 63. Vertical member 7ft is formed with three apertures 74 therethrough spaced from one another and located in a vertical plane adjacent the forward edge of vertical member 7d so as to be aligned with the three apertures 74 formed through vertical member 68. Vertical member 72 is generally the same as vertical member 70, except that its bent-over top and side edges are attached to the rear edge, the rear portion of the top edge, and the interior surface along a vertical plane generally defined by the rear edge of the central cut-out, of vertical member 63, and except that only one aperture '76 is formed through vertical member 72 near its top edge so as to be aligned with the aperture 76 formed through vertical member 63. Bearing means 73 are attached to vertical member 68 in each aperture '74 and 76 formed therethrough, further bearing means 73 are attached to vertical member 76 in each aperture 74 formed therethrough, and further bearing means 78 are attached to vertical member 72 in the aperture 76 formed therethrough.

The complete carriage further includes carriage base members 3t? and 82. Carriage base member 8%? is a generally flat, rectangular horizontal steel plate which is attached at its side edges to the interior surfaces of the vertical members 63 and which is spaced above the carriage frame element 54 so that its upper surface is adjacent the bottom edges of the vertical members 74 The vertical members 76 are attached to the base member along their said bottom edges. The base member 89 is located in the forward portion of the complete carriage 2b and extends from substantially the front end of the complete carriage 26 back to substantially the rear edge of the vertical members 7%. Carriage base member 82 is generally similar to base member St except that it is attached to vertical members es in the rear portion of the complete carriage 2d and is attached to the bottom edges of the vertical members 72. It is preferably narrower than the vertical members 72 so as to conserve weight.

Conventional electric motors 34, including the power take-off rotatable shafts 555, are mounted on the base ember 8d. The shafts 86 extend beyond the electric motors 3 toward the interior of the complete carriage 20 through the conventional magnetic brakes 83 which are mounted on base member 39, each shaft 86 thus forming the common shaft of both a conventional electric motor 8 3 and the conventional magnetic brake 88. The electric motor 84 and the magnetic brake 88 are positioned so that their common shaft 86 is in alignment with the lowermost apertures '74 in the vertical members 68 and 7d. The shaft 36 extends outwardly beyond the elecric motor toward the side of the complete carriage it). A first gear 94, mounted on gear shaft 92, which is rotatably borne by the bearing means 73 in the lowermost apertures 7d in the vertical members 63 and 79, is positioned between vertical members 63 and 7b. The gear shaft 92 extends through the lowermost aperture 74 in vertical member 76 toward the interior of the carriage 2% in alignment with the shaft 86 and is connected to the shaft 86 by conventional coupling means 9%), so that the first gear 94 is capable of being rotated by the electric motor 34. A second gear 96, mounted on gear shaft 98 which is rotatably journalled through bearing means 78 in the central apertures 74 in vertical members 68 and 79, is located above first gear 94 between vertical members es and so as to engage first gear 94 and to be capable of being rotated thereby. Third gear 1%, mounted on gear shaft 1632 which is rotatably journalled through the uppermost apertures 74 in vertical members 68 and 7b, is located above second gear 96 between vertical members 68 and 7@ so as to engage second gear 96 and to be capable of being rotated thereby. Gear shaft 102 extends through the uppermost aperture '74 in vertical member 7% toward the interior of the complete carriage 2%. Wheels 22, preferably formed of solid rubber, are mounted on the portion of the shaft 162 extending into the interior of the complete carriage 20. Gears 94, $6 and tilt) and Wheels 22 are of such relative diameters that rotation of shaft 86 by the electric motor 84 causes rotation of the Wheels 22 at speeds appropriate for rapid transit purposes.

Electric motors 84 and magnetic brakes 38 are controlled through conventional circuitry 87 connecting them with conventional control assemblies (not shown) in the interior of the car bodies ill. Power for electric motors 34 and magnetic brakes 83 is supplied via conventional circuitry 89 connecting them with trolley means 106 mounted on carriage base 82 and bearing resiliently against power supply lines 1&3 mounted on, and insulated from, transverse members 110 in supporting structures 26.

The operation of the complete structure of the invention when the car body is progressing around a curve is shown, slightly exaggerated for claritys sake, in the rear carriage illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Turning of the complete carriage relative to the car body 10, which will take place on the relatively slight curves occurring in a rapid transit system, is opposed by spring means 112 mounted on the upper surface of overhead frames 36 which bear resiliently against the forward and rear sides of the X-shaped portions of frame elements 54, so as to provide a smooth controlled turning action. Spring means 112, as shown in FIG. 3, may be very simply and cheaply formed with strips of flexible steel. Posts 32, as shown in drawings, extend above the horizontal levels of overheadframes 36, frame elements 54, and carriage base members 80 and 82, but they do not interfere with the turning movement since they extend through the rectangular central cut-out in overhead frame 36, the side areas defined by the X-shape within a rectangle of frame element 54, and since they extend upwardly between carriage base members 80 and 82. In this way the compact, cheap, light and durable nature of the complete structure of the invention is enhanced. The safety of the complete structure is aided by flanges 114 formed on frame elements 54 so as to extend outwardly and upwardly from substantially the center of the sides of frame elements 54. Flanges 114, when the car body 10 is suspended from a straight portion of supporting structure 26 are aligned so as to extend upwardly into the interior of the inverted U-shape of the safety flanges 44, so that in the event of any failure of pivot bolts 64 or nuts 66, the car body 10 will not fall. Flanges 114 are relatively narrower than safety flanges 44 so that even in an exaggerated turning movement the flanges 114 are still surrounded by the safety flanges 44.

The complete supporting structures 26 comprise dual longitudinal members 116, which may be constructed inexpensively with simple channel steel plates, reinforced by attaching metal strips 118 across the top and bottom edges of longitudinal members 116. Longitudinal members 116 may be straight or curved as in either or both the horizontal and vertical planes, as the path of the rapid transit system requires; although, of course, the path of the system will generally be substantially straight and horizontal. Longitudinal members 116 are supported periodically from the arms 28 of pillars 39 by means of flanged tie members 120 which, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, support longitudinal members 116 by being attached to the strips 118 attached to the bottom edges of longitudinal members 116. The upper strips 118 are also attached along their inner edges to the sides of tie members 120. The tie members 120, in turn, are attached along their top portion to plates 122 which are attached to and supportedby arms 28 of pillars 30 as by means of bolts 124 and nuts 126. Roadway members 128, which constitute in effect continuous angle irons upon which the wheels 22 ride, are attached to the outer side surfaces of longitudinal members 116. The portion of the roadway members 128 which is attached to longitudinal members 116 extends upwardly from the portion of roadway members 128 upon which the wheels 22 ride, providing thereby a curbing which prevents the wheels 22 from contacting the sides of longitudinal members 116. Shields 130 are attached to the strips 118 along the top edges of longitudinal members 116 and to the roadway members 128, so as to leave a slot through which the shaft 182 may extend, and thereby form a protective shield which reduces noise and improves the appearance of the complete structure. The dual longitudinal members 116 are braced periodically by transverse members 114) and diagonal members 132.

I claim:

A suspended rapid transit construction, comprising: an elongated supporting structure having two opposed sides; substantially horizontal roadway members extending outwardly from the two opposed sides of said supporting structure; shield means associated with said supporting structure, said shield means defining substantially horizontal slots extending parallel to said roadway members on the sides of said roadway members remote from said supporting structure, with said shield means enclosing the sides and tops of said roadway members except for said slots; rubber tire-type wheel means engaging said roadway members so as to be supported thereon; horizontal axle means for said wheel means, said axle means extending outwardly from said wheel means through said slots; a carriage member having hollow vertical members, with the upper portion of said vertical members receiving said axle means and the lower portion of said vertical members receiving driving shaft means; gearing housed within said vertical members, said gearing being interposed between said axle means and said shaft means; drive motor means on said carriage for rotating said drive shaft means; a car body; and means connecting said carriage and said car body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,050 Von Thal et al Dec. 26, 1899 1,142,124 Smith June 8, 1915 1,549,625 Swift Aug. 11, 1925 1,607,875 Davino Nov. 23, 1926 2,623,475 Fraser Dec. 30, 1952 2,869,709 Zebley Jan. 20, 1959 

